Watchdog blames Norilsk fuel spill on design, construction defects

MOSCOW, Nov 16 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Service for Environmental, Technological, and Nuclear Oversight has ruled that design and construction defects, as well as poor quality control over the operation of facilities were the reasons of a fuel spill at a thermal plant in Norilsk in May, the watchdog said on Monday.

The results of the investigation point to several causes of the accident: insufficient bearing capacity of the foundation and reinforced concrete piles of the tank, flaws in the design of the pile foundation, defects in construction production, including the presence of “weak” soils under the piles, as well as poor quality control over the operation of structures and violations of the requirements during the examination of industrial safety.

A fuel tank at the premises of metals giant Norilsk Nickel’s unit Taimyr Energy Company lost pressure on May 29 and leaked out 21,000 tonnes of fuel and lubricants into the river Ambarnaya, causing fire. The Federal Service for Natural Resources Oversight assessed the damage inflicted on the environment by the spill at 147.7 billion rubles in July, but Norilsk Nickel disputed the amount of damage.

(77.3262 rubles – U.S. $1)

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